Telling the Truth

Every year the news shows shocking scenes of houses washed away in mudslides, hurricanes, or floods. No matter how grand or beautiful the homes might have been, they end up in rubble when strong storms hit because they weren't built on solid ground. Life is the same way. Storms like job losses, health problems, or broken relationships can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something...

Every year the news shows shocking scenes of houses washed away in mudslides, hurricanes, or floods. No matter how grand or beautiful the homes might have been, they end up in rubble when strong storms hit because they weren't built on solid ground. Life is the same way. Storms like job losses, health problems, or broken relationships can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something...

Every year the news shows shocking scenes of houses washed away in mudslides, hurricanes, or floods. No matter how grand or beautiful the homes might have been, they end up in rubble when strong storms hit because they weren't built on solid ground. Life is the same way. Storms like job losses, health problems, or broken relationships can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something...

We all are looking for financial and material success. Who wouldn't want a bigger house, nicer car, maybe a boat or some extra zeros in the bank account. All these things in themselves aren't badyet they become "bad" when we look for satisfaction in these material things or when we start to think that we deserve them. Jesus warned against such greed when He told the parable of the rich foola man w...

Many of us hear the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, and we take from it that we should help people who need help, even when we don't stand to gain anything. But is that really what Jesus was saying? The context for the parable was a conversation between Jesus and a teacher of the law who wanted to know what he needed to do to "inherit eternal life." Jesus' responseto love God with all yo...

Many of us hear the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, and we take from it that we should help people who need help, even when we don't stand to gain anything. But is that really what Jesus was saying? The context for the parable was a conversation between Jesus and a teacher of the law who wanted to know what he needed to do to "inherit eternal life." Jesus' responseto love God with all yo...

What kind of soil are you? Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed is probably one of His best known parables. The sower goes out and sows seed on a hard pathway, in shallow soil, thorny soil, and good soil. The point of the parable, however, isn’t really the sower or the seedit’s the soil. The seed, the Word of God, was the same everywhere it fell, but what determined if the seed took root was t...

What kind of soil are you? Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed is probably one of His best known parables. The sower goes out and sows seed on a hard pathway, in shallow soil, thorny soil, and good soil. The point of the parable, however, isn’t really the sower or the seedit’s the soil. The seed, the Word of God, was the same everywhere it fell, but what determined if the seed took root was t...

How would you feel if someone cancelled all your debt right now? Mortgage, car payments, student loans, hospital billsall of it, washed clean. You’d be pretty relieved, right? And you’d probably be pretty expressive and exuberant when it comes to showing your gratitude. Now if I tell you that Jesus has cancelled all your sin debt, are you feeling as grateful? The truth is that we can’t fully under...

How would you feel if someone cancelled all your debt right now? Mortgage, car payments, student loans, hospital billsall of it, washed clean. You’d be pretty relieved, right? And you’d probably be pretty expressive and exuberant when it comes to showing your gratitude. Now if I tell you that Jesus has cancelled all your sin debt, are you feeling as grateful? The truth is that we can’t fully under...

While wineskins aren’t something we talk about today, they were so prevalent in Jesus’ day that He used the illustration of wineskins in a parable. The people in that day would have easily understood the practical advice that Jesus presented at a surface level, but what He was really talking about goes a lot deeper. He was actually addressing the Jewish society’s belief that we are basically good,...

Every day we fight battles: teaching our kids to clean up their toys, dealing with difficult co-workers or family members, getting society to clean up the environment. But even though these battles are big, there is an even bigger war going ona spiritual one. While we know that God is the ultimate victor, we live every day surrounded by Satan’s armies. The judge and prophetess Deborah was surround...

Have you ever felt wrongly judged? Rahab was someone who was judged for her outer appearance. A harlot, known for keeping brothels within Jericho, no one would have believed by simply looking at her that she was seeking God. Thankfully, God looks beyond what man sees to the desires of our hearts, and changes us from the inside out. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace....

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to be a servant of God, look to Miriam. Miriam served God using her gifts when she took on a willing, servant attitude. Miriam discovered that she had the gift of prophecy, and she used it where God called herin leading the people of Israel to the Promised Land, alongside Aaron and Moses. God wants to use you, as He used Miriam, with the gifts and persona...

hen we think of someone with a good attitude, Abraham’s wife Sarah is probably not the first person who comes to mind. We might think of her arguments with Abraham, how she laughed at God’s good news, her harsh dealings with Hagar, how she lied to Pharaoh. But in 1 Peter 3, Peter commends Sarah as a model for all women for her quiet and meek spirit. What happened in Sarah’s life to turn this feist...

Women throughout all of history have been trying to find their identitiesthrough marriage, children, a career. But we can find our true identity and fulfillment only in our relationship with God. Eve had a unique opportunity to be with God in the Garden of Eden, and God revealed His intended work for her, what He designed her to do. But Eve’s identity was challenged in the Fall when Satan deceived...

Jesus assumed that His disciples would faithfully fulfill the commission He had given them and that as a result there would be future generations of believers, including present day believers. So when He prayed for future believers His prayer included us! That He prayed for us is highly significant. What He prayed for us should be clearly understood. To support this ministry financially, visit: ht...

When faced with a crisis do you find yourself prepared knowing where to turn, or do you panic and simply react? As Jesus faced the reality of the cross, He instinctively turned to His Father in prayer. Is prayer your first line of defense in a crisis? In this teaching, Stuart Briscoe looks to Jesus’ example to teach us about the comfort available to us through prayer. To support this ministry fina...

Dealing with grief and loss is something most people go through sometime in their lives. Trying to get through difficult situations on our own can leave us feeling hopeless and alone. The apostle Paul said, We sorrow, but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. But is it possible for us to experience hope in the midst of grief? In this message, Stuart Briscoe helps us to discover abundant life...

Sometimes we try to understand how anything good can possibly come out of the bad things that happen to us. The disciples certainly felt like this when Jesus told them it was to their advantage that He would leave them via the Cross. The advantage of which He spoke to them is to our advantage too, so we need to be clear about the promise He gave to them and to us. To support this ministry financia...

We know from personal experience that if something can go wrong, it willand probably at the worst possible time. We navigate through all sorts of trials, but what if the trouble you face is because you’re a Christian? Jesus tells us not to be surprised when we face troubles, because the world around us loves the darkness rather than the light. He also tells us to step out of our comfort zone, thor...

Are you in a dead-end relationship? Disappointed because that special person doesn’t meet all of your needs? We hear about situations like these all the time. It’s clear we’re created as relational beings, so why do we struggle so much with relationships? In this message Stuart Briscoe teaches about the ultimate relationship that brings both comfort and meaning to our lives. To support this minist...

Have you ever experienced disappointed hope? To put all your trust in someone or something only to find they were untrustworthyto be fooled and have your hope shattered. Maybe that’s why we tend to distrust rather than to trust. Jesus said, Trust God, trust Me, don’t let your hearts be troubled. But what does it mean to trust in God in the midst of things that are deeply troubling or discouraging?...

Even when your theology aligns with the Bible and you recognize that sometimes the righteous are called to suffer, when pain and suffering come your way it can feel a bit like diving into cold waterit can take your breath away and test your faith. How do we cope while we wait for God to intervene in our painful circumstances? We can look to the story of Job to find answers. To support this ministr...

Even when your theology aligns with the Bible and you recognize that sometimes the righteous are called to suffer, when pain and suffering come your way it can feel a bit like diving into cold waterit can take your breath away and test your faith. How do we cope while we wait for God to intervene in our painful circumstances? We can look to the story of Job to find answers. To support this ministr...